Collapsible motion-picture-screen assembly



'July 9, 1946.A A HURLEY l A 2,403,661

COLLAPSIBLE MOTION PICTURE SCREEN ASSEMBLY Filed Jan. 25, 1945 *A INVEN'ToR.

a fly?. y AAzfn. Hum'y l irme/vif i Patented July 9, `1946` MoTIoNAPIc'rURE-SCREEN ASSEMBLY l 4Albert B. Hurley, Huntington, N. Application January 25, 1945, 'Serial No. 574,567y

1 Yi l portsr for flexible sheets or screens and has for f its principal object .to provide a collapsible motion-picture-screenassembly which complies with' portability requirements of 'compactness lightness, rigidity,'ease of assemblyand adjustability with respect to the.line-ofsight of the audience.

Another'and important object of the invention is to provide an improved assembly of the generalcharacter described and one constituted of a very small numberofsubassemblies wherein the parts are permanently joined one to another to prevent the loss of any one of saidparts.

Another'and specic object of the present invention is to provide a novel, collapsible tensioned-wire frame for a fabric or other flexible screen, and one wherein the wire is not subject to snarling when the frame is in its collapsedV condition.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent and the invention itself will be best understood upon reference to the ,following specication and the invention and completely assembled.

Fig. 2 is an elevational view showingthe oppositely` located supports or legs for the frame of Fig. l, in their folded or collapsed condition.

Fig. 3 is a View in perspective of the screenframe of Fig. l in its collapsed condition and Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view in perspective showing the connections between the frame of Fig. l and its supporting legs.

In the embodiment of the invention which has been selected for illustration the several parts of the apparatus form three discrete sub-assern blies, including a collapsible frame or truss (see Fig. 3) and two pairs oi legs (see Fig. 2). The frame'in the instant case comprises a central, preferably hollow, metal rod I and four preferably shorter arms, 2 to 5 inclusive, of similar hollow construction. The arms 2 and 4 are pivotedly secured to an apertured plate G at one end of the central rod I and the other pair 3 and 46 Claims.A (Cl. 1GO-3517) Referring still. to Fig. 3, it will be observed that each of Athe apertured end-plates 6 andi has two keys or pins 8 secured thereto, each on its own chain 9. These pins 8 when seated in appropriate apertures Ill in the end plates 6 and I serve to maintain the arms 2 to 5 in the position in which they are shown in Fig. 1, i. e. with each pair'of arms arranged inthe form of a V whose apex lies adjacent to oneof theends ofthe central rod I. When thus extended the ends of the arms 2 to 5 inclusive define. the rcorners of a rectangle of an area greaterthan that of the rectangular screen which' it is designed to support.

The perimeter or sides of the rectangle whose corners are defined by the ends of the hollow metal rods 2, `3, 4 and v5, are, formed by a wire or cable Il which extends between the saidcorners. This cable I I is broken in one or more places to allow the arms I to 5 vinclusive to be 5 are pivotedly secured to a similar plate 1 on the other end of the rod I. As more clearly shown` in Fig. 3, the pivot points 2a and 4a for the arms 2 and 4 on the plate 6 are oli-set from the central rod i, Whereas the arms 3 and 5 are connected to the plate 'l at points 3a and 5a Which-be adjacent to the central rod I. Thus, when the frame is collapsed, the arms 3 and 5 fall between the arms 2 and 4 to form a bundle of minimum size.

rfolded. and is tightened atV the break by one or more turnbuckles I2. In practice it has been found that the cable is less likely to snarl if it is made up of four discrete sections with the ends of each'section permanently secured to the arms which it connects. In this case the top and bottom sections IIa and IIb of the cable are made just long enough to equalize the stress applied to the arms 2, 3, 4 and 5 by the turnbuckles I2 in the other two sections of the cable.

Four springs I3 fastened respectively to the outer ends of the arms 2, 3, 4 and 5 maintain the screen I4 under tension when connected to grommets I5, on th'e edge or selvage I6 of the screen. Several snap fasteners H on the peripheral cable II engage other grommets I5a on the selvage I6 and further tighten and secure the screen I4 within its frame.

As previously indicated and as shown in Fig. 2 the two pairs of legs 2l, 22 and 23, 24 which support the frame for the screen I4 above the stage or ground comprise 'separate sub-assemblies. apertured plate 25, to which the legs are pivotedly attached, and a short hollow arm or socket 23 which is rigidly aflixed to the said plate and protrudes beyond the pivoted ends of the legs. .The internal size of each socket 26 issuch that it is adapted to receive the end of one of the lower arms 4 or 5 of the frame as shown in Fig. 4. The distance the frame of the screenlll issupported above the ground is determined by the angular setting of the legs, that is to say, the larger the angle the lower the frame. The' apertured plates 25 are each provided with two chained keys 2?- 28 which when entered into selected ones of the Each of these sub-assemblies includes an radially arranged apertures serve to fix the legs in a desired angular position. As shown in the drawing the legs may themselves be provided with key holes but this is not essential provided that the keys 21 and 28 are long enough to extend through the apertured plates 25 and abut the outer surface of the legs.

It will now -be apparent that the present invention provides a novel and compact collapsiblescreen, and one' further characterized by the simplicity and economy of its parts and by its ease of assembly.

What is claimed is:

1. A collapsible supportl for a rectangular screen, said support comprising a plurality of rod-like members, means connecting said rod-f like members in the form of a truss wherein the rod-ends define the corners of a rectangle of an area larger than that of said screen, tensionable means connected to said rods adjacent to their said ends and adapted to form the sides of said rectangle, and means disposed in spaced relation along the said sides of said rectangle for securing lsaid screen thereto.

2. A collapsible support for a rectangulart to said rod-like members through said wire-like screen support.

4. The invention as set forth in claim 2 and wherein said screen-securing means include a plurality of springs disposed respectively at the corners of said rectangle.

5. A collapsible support for a eXible screen, said support comprising a central rod-like member of a length less than that of said screen, a hinge disposed at each end of said member, a pair of rods of duplicate construction extending radially outward from each hinge to define the corners of a rectangle of an area greater than that of said screen, a plurality of wire-like members secured to said rods adjacent to the free ends thereof and adapted to form the perimeter of said rectangle, a plurality of turnbuckles attached to adjacent ends of said Wires, for tensioning said wires, Iand spring means secured adjacent to the said free-ends of said rods for supporting said screen upon said tensioned screensupport.

6. A collapsible support for a rectangular screen, said support comprising three sub-assemblies including a frame and two pairs of supporting legs, said frame comprising a plurality of hinged rods, the free ends of said rods being swingable to define the corners of a rectangle of an area larger than that of said screen and to which rod-ends said scrcen'is adapted to be connected, the legs of each pair being adjustably connected one to the other, and means for removably connecting said pairs of legs respectively to the rod-ends which form two adjacent corners of said rectangle.

ALBERT B. HURLEY. 

